City comparison
Beaumont, TX vs Boulder, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boulder, CO are 16.8% higher than in Beaumont, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Beaumont, TX would need about $116,800 in Boulder, CO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,795 a month in Boulder, CO versus $898 in Beaumont, TX. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Boulder, CO and 14% in Beaumont, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,692 a year higher in Boulder, CO than in Beaumont, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.5% moving from Beaumont, TX to Boulder, CO ($106,437 → $118,675), while prices change by +16.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.6% in real buying power.
- Beaumont, TX: price level 90.0 (much cheaper)
- Boulder, CO: price level 105.2 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Beaumont, TX | Boulder, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.0 | 105.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,831 in Boulder | $85,593 in Beaumont |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $1,795/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,630 | $69,580 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Denver-Aurora, CO |
Rent areas: Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX MSA and Boulder, CO MSA. Metro areas: Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX and Boulder, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Beaumont | Boulder |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.9 | 157.0 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 83.1 | 82.7 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 90.0 | 105.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Beaumont, TX → Boulder, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.4%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$3,692/yr.
32 Weak offer
Boulder, CO → Beaumont, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.8%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$3,692/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Beaumont, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Boulder, CO is in Denver-Aurora, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Beaumont, TX to Boulder, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Beaumont, TX | Boulder, CO | Real change, Beaumont → Boulder |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,819 | −4.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $83,265 | −4.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $99,800 | −4.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $118,675 | −4.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $140,239 | −4.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Beaumont, TX | Boulder, CO | Boulder pay in Beaumont dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,260 | $80,640 | $69,023 (+14.5%) |
| Software Developers | $124,470 | $164,560 | $140,853 (+13.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,680 | $99,990 | $85,585 (+11.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,180 | $103,290 | $88,409 (+8.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.